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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28486800">first and fierce</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonstruckmidnight/pseuds/moonstruckmidnight'>moonstruckmidnight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>eclipse, motherfuckers [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>League of Legends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Developing Friendship, Gen, Religion, Solari Culture, Sparring, Worldbuilding, and why they talk, as always a sprinkle of, it counts enough for a tag, kinda sorta, look it's peripherally there</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:14:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28486800</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonstruckmidnight/pseuds/moonstruckmidnight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Where it started.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Diana &amp; Leona (League of Legends)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>eclipse, motherfuckers [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>first and fierce</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first time Leona sees Diana, really sees her, they’re both fourteen and a teacher is hauling Diana out of the Rising Sun temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona’s catching her breath after a break in sparring, leaning on the hilt of her wooden sword in the way that Teacher Anatola always scolds her for. Her sparring partner, Arche, is flat on their back, panting for air. It’s a normal day. Then Leona turns, just a little, and sees a struggle between Diana and a teacher she can’t identify from here, right in the Rising Sun temple’s doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona stops what she’s doing and </span>
  <em>
    <span>stares.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Rising Sun temple is sacred. Only priests, warriors, and certain teachers are allowed in. It contains the most vital texts of the Solari faith, carefully preserved and rewritten whenever necessary. Its doors are guarded by Sun Warriors in gleaming golden armor, swords sharp and shields shining.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona wants in so badly it aches in her chest, a hollow she curls around and </span>
  <span>placates with golden daydreams</span>
  <span>. What would the inside of the Rising Sun temple look like? How do the holy texts look, how does the sun flood the halls, how do the priests practice for their elaborate, dazzling weapons presentations? She’s never been able to stop imagining stepping foot in, nodding to the priests and warriors as an equal, heading to the library that must be inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Diana has seen the inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Leona watches, Diana ducks and twists out of the teacher’s grasp, skipping back a couple paces to glare at them. “I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>get it,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she snaps, high and loud. “If you’re going to put all the holy texts that </span>
  <em>
    <span>aren’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>the Solaria in a library, why can’t anyone go in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Settle down, </span>
  <em>
    <span>child,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>grinds out the teacher, and Leona hadn’t recognized her from behind but with her voice, she’s definitely Teacher Stelis. Leona straightens instinctively—Teacher Stelis isn’t in her korone, but she’s in her teacher’s korone, which means that Leona has to be nice and respect her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that Diana?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona glances over her shoulder to see Arche prop themselves up on their elbows. “Yeah,” she says, offering a hand for Arche to pull themselves up. “And Teacher Stellis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s she doing in the Rising Sun?” Arche grabs her hand and clambers to their feet. “Idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona frowns. “She managed to get into the Rising Sun. She can’t be an idiot to get past Sun Warriors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arche pauses, and then tilts their head. “How did she even manage that?” They turn their head to watch Diana too, pursing their lips. Leona just shrugs. She’s not one to disobey rules, much less ones set by priests, but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wants Diana to teach her how she got in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It must’ve been luck. She can’t be smart enough to slip past Sun Warriors.” They shake their head. “It was stupid to try and break into the Rising Sun temple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>understand,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Diana’s voice says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Leona—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona sees her, a blaze of white against brown and gold, and thinks: </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can understand that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t say anything, of course, because it’s not like she’ll break into the Rising Sun, and no matter how much she wants to see, it’s not like she ever would. Instead, Leona just shrugs again, readying her sword and falling into a fighting stance. Arche groans, but drags their shield up to defend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arche won’t understand, doesn’t feel that burning, bright devotion that lights Leona up from the inside. But Diana… she just might.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, Teacher Anatola will beat you into the ground if you don’t fix the weird spin thing you do,” Leona half-orders, because she can’t exactly tell Arche any of that. They may be in the same korone, but Leona knows what she can’t say. “Come on, let’s try that again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright,” Arche says, and Leona lets the rhythm of the fight take her mind off Diana for then. Korone comes first.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s not the first time that Leona’s seen Diana around. Even though Diana’s not in her korone, it’s hard to miss her. She’s just— so </span>
  <em>
    <span>pale, </span>
  </em>
  <span>with her white hair and skin that looks like she’s never been outside before, and she’s just… weird. She fights with the teachers a lot, for one. Leona has lost count of the times that she’s seen Diana doing dishes for the whole tribe, or fixing up training grounds, or polishing statues, or—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well. Diana gets punished a lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona doesn’t understand. The Teachers are wise, and the priests wiser, and their knowledge is passed down onto them, because that’s what’s right. That is how it always has been, and always will be. Fighting over pointless things just makes it harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t understand why Diana keeps </span>
  <em>
    <span>fighting. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Originally, she had assumed that Diana was just… unruly, and needed a firm hand, like Teacher Anatola said, but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wanting into the Rising Sun Temple so she could read the holy texts? That’s not being unruly. Diana’s just feeding the light inside of her. And Leona understands that more than anyone else, probably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So next time, Leona seeks her out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best idea to approach Diana when she was training.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona barely manages to throw herself backwards before a wooden blade—strangely long, like it’s for someone a lot older than her—slashes into the area her head just was. Diana pulls it back, shifting stances, and—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Leona yells. “I’m not here to fight you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diana looks at her, irritation clear on her face. “I’m training, and you’re not in my korone. Go away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona frowns, blowing hair out of her eyes. She’s not prepared for sparring—she doesn’t have her sword or her shield, but if that’s what it takes…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” She settles into a ready stance, glad she tied her hair back this morning. Diana raises her eyebrows at her.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You think you can beat me without weapons?” There’s a curl of annoyance in Diana’s voice, and Leona watches as her knuckles go white on the hilt of her blade. Leona… isn’t quite sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>it’s there</span>
  <em>
    <span>, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but she treads carefully regardless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” says Leona, because she hasn’t learned hand-to-hand beyond her second ray yet, and Diana has a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shuriman </span>
  </em>
  <span>weapon, which is something Leona has never dealt with. “I just want to talk.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Like you’re going to have much time for that,” Diana mutters before she moves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first slashing attack is not nearly as graceful as Leona has seen, but there’s speed behind it. Leona stumbles back, barely dodging the blade before she </span>
  <em>
    <span>dives </span>
  </em>
  <span>out of the way of a quick follow up reverse slash. Oh, wow. Speed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona’s not much of a front-line fighter, really, not built for it. Teacher Anatola never really prioritized </span>
  <span>solo fighters</span>
  <span>, instead focusing on teamwork first. So Leona isn’t suited to deal with what Diana’s throwing at her at all, especially without her sword and shield, but she gives it her best try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Diana moves and she’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>fast, </span>
  </em>
  <span>sneaks up close and slams Leona to the ground with the butt of her weapon into Leona’s diaphragm while destabilizing her footing, and Leona’s on the ground almost before she realizes what happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re slow,” says Diana above Leona, frowning a little. Leona wheezes something faintly akin to agreement, then focuses on breathing again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Teacher— says that,” replies Leona in between gasps for air. “‘S why I have— a shield.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“A shield?” Diana’s voice drips with derision even as she extends a hand for Leona to take. “To slow you down further?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Slower, but— harder to hurt,” Leona says. She takes Diana’s hand and uses it to get to her feet. Diana’s grip is shaky, like she doesn’t really have enough strength to pull Leona all the way. That’s fine. Leona has strength for the both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Leona says when she’s all the way up. Diana shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. You wanna try again?” Diana seems to know what her answer will be already, shifting back into stance. Leona grins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I do wanna talk to you.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“And I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t,” says Diana. “Guess you’ll have to beat me to get me to talk.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Leona groans. “What, really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really.” Diana’s grin is </span>
  <em>
    <span>weird</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a slick-sharp slash of savagery across her pale face. </span>
  <span>An answering spark of something like challenge ignites in Leona’s chest. </span>
  <span>“Good luck with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gods, is Leona going to need that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t win. She doesn’t even come close. Without her sword and shield, Leona’s mostly defenseless against Diana’s graceless but efficient handling of her weapon. She sulks the whole way back to her korone, where Arche bullies her into going to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she’s tenacious, and a quick learner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next time she goes, she brings her weapons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was— better,” Diana says between pants for air. Leona is, once again, flat on her back, but it definitely took longer this time. Her wrist aches where Diana slammed her weapon into it to disarm her, but she still uses it to push herself up with a pained grimace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Leona takes a moment to catch her breath. Diana, leaning on her strange wooden weapon, kicks Leona’s sword in her direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better, but still not a win.” Diana flashes her a grin. Leona mimics it before she’s consciously aware she’s doing so. “Try again sometime, Leona.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know my name,” says Leona, a little breathlessly. It’s mostly the spar. She shoves some hair from her face, looks up at Diana. “When’d—?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I know your name,” Diana scoffs. “You’re the favorite.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona blinks. “The what?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“The favorite,” Diana repeats, and her entire face twists into a disdainful sneer. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Why aren’t you more like Leona, Diana? Don’t you see how she listens?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s clearly something Diana’s heard a lot before, voice pitched low to mimic someone else. Diana bites off the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>listens </span>
  </em>
  <span>like it burns, expression darkening into a glower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, no. She’s upset. She’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>upset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona is a little confused about how quick Diana flipped from </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe-a-little-impressed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to </span>
  <em>
    <span>vicious-furious, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but she knows she needs to backtrack, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>fast. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She holds her hands up placatingly as she tries to find words to defuse the situation.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Uh,” is what her mind supplies, and Leona winces internally. Very eloquent, Leona. “I… didn’t know that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.” Diana snorts. “Figures. So effortlessly golden you don’t even realize.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona frowns. “I’m—I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>not,</span>
  </em>
  <span> though.” She gestures at where she was just on the ground, knocked on her back. “You just beat me. You know I’m not— </span>
  <em>
    <span>golden.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Diana watches her for a moment, face blank. After a moment, she says, “No, you’re not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t feel like simple agreement. It feels like when Leona’s missed a handhold and has to scrabble for another one before she falls to her death—that same sense of awaiting catastrophe, anxiety striking through her veins. She bites down on a shudder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So?” Leona says, lifts a shoulder. “You gonna fight me again or what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diana just looks at her, assessing. “Why do you want to talk to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...holy Mother. This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>progress. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Despite all the weirdness from before, this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>progress. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Leona can’t stop the smile spreading across her face as she says, “You broke into the Rising Sun temple.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Can you really call it a break in if I didn’t break anything to get in?” Diana says, raises a brow. “So?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I want you to show me,” Leona says, and her smile is wide and fierce like burning sunlight. “I want you to show me how you got in.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“And why would you want that?” Diana pushes. “To get me in trouble? To seal up the hole?” A sneer. “To gild yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It stings, a little, that Diana doesn’t trust her. That Diana doesn’t see the same light burning inside Leona that she saw in Diana. But Leona shakes her head, sets her shoulders, looks up with a mulish frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I want to see what’s inside.” Leona grabs her sword and shield, climbs to her feet. Her gear is heavy on exhausted arms, muscles burning with strain, but she holds them proudly as she turns to face the Rising Sun. “You’re not the only one who wants to know more about the faith.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“...huh.” Diana eyes her with a strange sort of guarded skepticism. “You know that it’s mostly just scrolls, right? There’s not a lot of fancy weapons or paintings or statues or anything. Just scrolls.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Holy scrolls,” Leona corrects, narrows her eyes. “They’re important.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Diana doesn’t try to fight her on that. Instead she just stares, but not at Leona. Through her, like she’s mulling something over. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please don’t make that be a rejection, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Leona prays internally, gripping her sword and shield tighter. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please let her say yes.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“...okay,” says Diana after a moment’s eon, blinking. “Yeah, I’ll show you. But only if you don’t get me in trouble.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Leona smiles a little. “You’re always in trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but not for corrupting the golden girl.” Diana shakes her head. “Come back here same time tomorrow. We’ll talk.” She hesitates. “And then… I’ll show you how to get in.”</span>
  <span></span><br/>

  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Leona does a little mental fist pump of victory. Outwardly, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>beams. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Thank you, Diana!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diana flushes a little, averting her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Get going before someone yells at us for slacking off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leona doesn’t stop grinning for the rest of the day. It’s big and silly, but she doesn’t stop. She’s earned it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>happy new year, motherfuckers. have some baby sun/moon lesbians</p></blockquote></div></div>
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